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Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Guest Post: Becky from Olives n' Wine

Hi! I'm Becky from over at Olives 'n' Wine - a blog where I share
my passion for keeping a balanced life through eating well, tasting
great wine, staying active, and traveling to new places - and I'm excited to be
doing a guest post for Danielle today :)

Truffles n’ Treadmills was one of the first blogs I started
following when I began blogging a few months ago – I love Danielle’s posts
about running, eating well on a budget and her daily college life - so I was
thrilled when she asked me if I would be interested in doing a guest post!

If you read my blog, you’ll quickly realize that my husband,
Kyle, and I are foodies. We’re foodies in a major way. We love testing new
foods and recipes in our kitchen at home and trying out new restaurants in
Minneapolis and while on vacation.

Kyle
and I pre-dinner while on vacation in Mexico.

It is often thought that frequently visiting restaurants and
healthy living can’t go hand in hand. Well, fear not my friends – I am here to
save you from unhealthy restaurant habits! Not only am I a foodie, I am also an
avid runner, yogi and CrossFitter. I have learned how to enjoy food at
restaurants without ruining all of my hard work in the gym.

Kyle and I
enjoying some Maryland Blue Crab while visiting my dad in Annapolis.

1.Just say no to the bread basket! Unless
you haven’t eaten in the past 2 weeks or have just run a marathon your body
doesn’t need the bread basket or the unlimited chips and salsa. Yes, it is free
and of course it is delicious but before you dig in, ask yourself: How hungry am I? Will I still want my meal
if I eat 2 slices of bread or a basket of tortilla chips? You are going to
be paying good money for your entrees so it is best to save your appetite and
hunger for them.

2.Skip the
appetizers. This has the same rationale as #1. Appetizers are typically HUGE
and will fill you up before you get your main meal! Unless you plan on sharing
an appetizer with a big table full of friends, I recommend skipping this
course.

3.Always
order the smallest portion. If you have the option of ordering
a small or large size of an entrée, always go with the smaller size. Remember,
you are at a restaurant – If you are still hungry after finished your smaller plate,
you can always order more!

4.Split
entrees with your date or friend. If you don’t have the option of
ordering a smaller sized entrée, you should split an entrée with a friend or
your date. It is a great wait to lower the amount of calories you consume
during a meal out and it won’t make you feel overly full or uncomfortable at
the end of the meal!

5.Do not
show up ravenous. Showing up starving is a recipe for disaster. You will want to
(and probably will!) eat everything on the menu! Make sure you plan accordingly
throughout the day to keep your hunger at a normal level. Along with this,
drink 16 ounces of water just prior to arriving at a restaurant. Our minds
often mistake thirst for hunger.

6.Order
multiple small plates and share. Another restaurant trick that Kyle
and I have been partaking in recently is ordering multiple smaller plates and
sharing them. This is a great option, especially if you are interested in
trying multiple items on the menu.

7.Ask for
everything on the side. Yes, everything. Did you order a salad? Ask
for the cheese and dressing on the side. How about a sandwich? Make sure you
request that the mayo and toppings aren’t thrown on by the chef. By ordering
your “extras” on the side, you can customize your meal how you like it and remove
tons of fat and calories from your meal!

8.Set your
fork and knife down between each bite. Enjoy the conversation with your
friends or your significant other. Eating at a restaurant should be an
experience; you should enjoy the ambiance of the table, the smell of the food
and the company of those sharing your table! By setting your silverware down
between bites, you will be able to better focus on the conversation and your hunger level.

9.Order what
you are craving. Ultimately, unless you order what you are really craving at the
moment, you will always want more. If you want fettuccine alfredo or a greasy hamburger
with fries, then order it! Just make sure you are paying close attention to
your hunger signals and to stop when you are no longer hungry. You could also
ask your server to bring a doggy bag at the beginning of your meal and box up
half of the portion in order to reduce the temptation.

10.Bring your
own bottle of wine. Okay, so this one is more of a money-saving tip rather than a
calorie saving tip ;) If you plan on enjoying a glass or two of wine while out
to eat, call the restaurant ahead of time and ask how much their corkage fees
are. Many times the y are willing to wave the fee for opening your bottle – or
they have no fee at all – saving you tons of money on a wine purchase!

I hope these healthy-eating tips help you the next time you are
at a restaurant! If you have any questions or would like to share your healthy
restaurant eating tips and tricks, I’d love to hear them!

A HUGE thanks to Danielle for asking me to guest post on her
blog today :) I hope you'll stop by Olives 'n' Wine and see
what I'm all about!

18 comments:

I love these tips! My family and I always went out to eat but then we all put on weight (except for my brother... but he is a teenage boy) so we stopped going out to eat. I will keep these tips in mind for next time we go out!

I can pass on the bread basket, but the chips and salsa are just too yummy for me! I wish we could bring our own bottles of wine to restaurants... we live in Alabama and you aren't allowed to do that. Bummer. Looking forward to checking out your blog.